Part 3
The phone rang early the next morning. Catherine groaned as she rolled over and groped for it on her bedside table. "Hello?" she said, rather groggily.
"Hello! Rise and shine, oh beautiful one!" came Robert's cheerful voice.
Collapsing back on her pillows, Catherine found herself smiling. Running her hand through her tousled hair, she said, "I don't FEEL very beautiful. What time is it?"
"6:30. And it's supposed to be a LOVELY day!"
"Ask her, Grandpa!" She heard a small voice speaking urgently in the background.
"Michael and I want to know if you will go for chocolate chip pancakes to Murray's for breakfast this morning." Robert obliged his young grandson and asked.
"Oh, Robert, I would love to, but ..."
"We don't take excuses, do we, Michael?"
"NO!" she heard Michael shouting.
"I still don't have a vehicle," Catherine said. "I have no way of getting there unless I phone a taxi ..."
"The taxi is sitting in your driveway, awaiting your pleasure, my lady!" Robert said cheerfully, and Michael giggled. "Just look out your window!"
Catherine climbed out of bed and stumbled to the other room to peer out the window ... and heard Michael yelling, "There's the doctor lady, Grandpa! I see her! That's her, isn't it?" She could see the small boy bouncing around in the front seat of the truck, and pointing up at the window, then waving madly. "Okay, Robert ... give me a minute ... and thank you!"
Hanging up, Catherine began a mad dash to get ready for her day, beginning with a date for breakfast with two wonderful gentlemen. Thankful her hair only took a bit of dampening to have it fall into place nicely, she dressed hurriedly, grabbed her purse and checked to be sure her cell phone was in it, then was out the door, still struggling to put her arm in her coat.
Robert met her on the walk and helped her finish putting it on, ignoring her indignant retort that she could dress herself, then saying, "We both know that's not true, Catherine. I have yet to see you with your coat done up." Then he opened the door of the truck for her with a flourish, and Michael beamed up at her as she slid in beside him.
"You like Murray's pancakes, too?" he asked her.
"Yes, I do. Very much. I hadn't tried them until your grandfather told me about them, though." Catherine's eyes met Robert's as he got in behind the wheel.
"Our favourite breakfast, isn't it?" Robert grinned at Michael.
When they entered the restaurant, Murray himself came to meet them. "Mr. Woodward! Michael! I'm so glad to see you both again. It has been a long, long time. My condolences, Mr. Woodward, on the passing of your wife."
"Thank you, Murray," Robert's eyes appeared shadowed to Catherine's quick look, but then Murray was taking her hands.
"Dr. Howard, nice to have you back with us!" Murray's eyes went from one to the other, then he peered at Catherine and asked archly, "Might I ask, Dr. Howard, if Robert is the friend you were waiting for the last time you were in here?"
"As a matter of fact, yes," Catherine murmured, her face flushing slightly at the memory of that morning in November when she had been so buoyed with excitement at the thought of seeing Robert and wondering what he would think of the small changes in her appearance ... then how miserable she had been as she had sat there alone, convinced she was the subject of many commiserating looks, when he had not shown up. Her eyes met Robert's again, and something passed between them, although neither could put a finger on what exactly it had been. Was it a meeting of the minds or souls ... a shared memory ... a regret both felt?
Then Michael was saying, "We came back for more chocolate chip pancakes, Mr. Murray, and we brought the lady doctor with us because she gave me a baby sister for Christmas!"
"Is that right? Isn't that nice!" Murray beamed at the three of them, then ushered them to a table in the back. "In that case, young man, I think you should have a complimentary plate of pancakes to celebrate!"
"What does that mean?" Michael asked.
"Free!" his grandfather whispered loudly. Then he shook Murray's hand. "Thank you, Murray!"
Catherine sat across the table from Robert and Michael, noting the easy camaraderie between the two, and was very, very glad that she had agreed to come with them. "So, tell me, Michael, how IS little Mary Beth?" she asked, putting her scarf and gloves on the seat beside her and shrugging her coat off.
Michael wrinkled his nose a bit and sipped the milk Murray had brought without being asked. "She sleeps a whole lot still."
Catherine nodded gravely. "That's what tiny babies do for the first few days of their lives. It's pretty hard work being born, and they have to rest up! Little Mary Beth will probably sleep most of the time for about three weeks, but then, about the time she should have been born, look out!"
Michael grimaced, then said importantly, "Well, I was in my mommy's tummy first. And before that, I was a twinkle in Daddy's eye. He said so. But after I was borned, and Daddy's eye twinkled again, Mary Beth started waiting in Mommy's leg until it was her time to move to the tummy to start to grow ..." He looked up as Murray put a large plate of pancakes in front of him, and grinned widely before attacking his food.
Robert chuckled. "You'd think he never eats at home. He's too busy listening to what is going on between his parents."
Catherine smiled and said in an undertone, "He's a dear boy, Robert. You must be very, very proud of him."
"Oh, I am. But he has a long way to go if he hopes to be a pediatrician!"
When Michael had taken the edge off his appetite, he swallowed his mouthful then asked Catherine, "Do YOU have any kids?"
Catherine sensed that Robert tensed up at the question, and, although her smile dimmed a little, she touched his arm reassuringly before saying gently to Michael, "No, my dear. I don't have any children or grandchildren." Then her smile grew to encompass them both. "But that's a good reason to keep making new friends, isn't it?"
"Yup. I can be yours too, if you want. I like you. Can we come here together again for breakfast? I'm going to work this week lots with Grandpa."
Not wanting to refuse Michael, she hesitated only a moment before shrugging and saying, "Well, if I don't get a better invitation, I'll think about it."
After applying himself assiduously to his food for a minute or two, Michael asked Catherine suddenly."Do you really like kissing?"
Catherine stared at him. Robert nudged him. "You don't ask questions like that!"
"Why not? I just want to know." Michael pouted. "Daddy said we have to ask questions if we want to know."
Gently, Catherine explained, "I guess you're not supposed to ask some questions because it's not polite when you don't know people very well."
The boy sighed. "Or if the people are older than you," he spoke as if repeating an oft-heard sentence. "I'm sorry. I sorta forgot you were old. I guess I wouldn't mind if you kissed me, sometimes. I like you."
Catherine laughed even as Robert winced. "Thank you," she said, her eyes dancing. "I like you, too, Michael."
"And Grandpa?"
Catherine's breath caught for a moment, and Robert's eyes sought hers. Unable to look away, Catherine said quietly, "Yes, I like your grandfather too."
"Lots?" Michael persisted.
"Lots," confirmed Catherine softly.
Robert's eyes lit up at her confession, and his hand covered hers on the table.
"Oh no, you're not going to start kissing NOW, are you?" Michael cried, horrified.
"No." Catherine pulled her hand free and pushed her plate away. "No, we're not, because I'm afraid that I have to get to work."
Michael finished his last mouthful and drained his glass of milk. Robert, looking faintly embarrassed, finished his coffee and took the bill. Catherine and Michael followed him to the till, then, when they were going out the door, Michael took Catherine's hand and held on to it, and Robert's arm slid around her waist. A warmth grew inside her at the touch of the child's hand, and glancing at Robert, welcoming his touch, she fell in love with him all over again.
On the way to the hospital, Catherine again remembered her SUV and she asked Robert if he could possibly find time today to check to see where it might have been towed. "I usually forget about things like that when I'm busy," she explained, shamefacedly.
"Not a problem. Michael and I will track it down for you," Robert said, and Michael nodded emphatically.
Promising to be waiting outside at 5 o'clock, and to come in to check on her whereabouts if she wasn't there, Robert dropped Catherine off at the front door of St. Mary's Hospital and she walked in, still wrapped in the warm glow of having spent some time with a delightful child and the man she loved.
Things were not too busy in the morning, so Catherine continued to think about Robert on and off. He seemed to have backed off pushing her to marry him, but she had felt his eyes still begging her silently to love him. This was ridiculous! Why was she hesitating? Why did she care what other people might think? Going into the staff lounge for a coffee to boost her flagging energy, Catherine again was accosted by William.
"Catherine, I believe you owe Marina an explanation and a personal apology ... I told her you had forgotten about coming to spend Christmas with us."
Catherine frowned. "I didn't exactly FORGET, William. I had no way of contacting you!"
"Well, all will be forgiven when you come over on New Year's Eve."
"Oh, William, I don't ..."
"Now, now, Catherine, we're not going to take no for an answer this time. You know you ALWAYS have spent New Year's Eve with us. Marina will be crushed if you don't come. Besides, you don't have anything ELSE planned, do you?"
"Actually, I DO have an invitation ..." Catherine sipped at her coffee, wishing she had finished it and left before William arrived in the lounge.
"Tell me, Catherine, is from THAT MAN?"
She tossed her head and said, "That is none of your business, William!" She was tired of being treated as if she couldn't possibly think or make decisions for herself.
"Tom would want me to MAKE it my business! You don't actually think you're in love with him, do you? Or think that he is in love with you? That's LUST, Catherine! LUST! Men like that are only after one thing! I saw the way he was pawing you last night, don't think I missed it! In this case, the only thing he wants is your body!" William's heated stare swept down her body, a hungry look coming into his eyes, and Catherine shivered inside.
From William's look, she knew her feelings from yesterday and Tom's teasing had been right. William DID want her. It made her slightly sick to think of Marina, sitting innocently at home, not suspecting her husband's perfidy. Just then, a couple of nurses came in, laughing and talking excitedly. William left without another glance at Catherine. Carefully she washed her cup, exchanged a few pleasantries with the nurses, then departed ... but inwardly she was shaking. This was simply too much to absorb. It was too soon after the sweet interlude with Robert at Christmas to accept the turmoil which followed her return to work.
Somehow Catherine managed to get through the day. William, it appeared, had been called to a conference, so had left early that afternoon. Knowing he wasn't in the hospital at all made it easier for Catherine to relax and enjoy her work with the babies again. When she went outside at five o'clock, Robert and Michael were waiting for her, and Jaclyn was in the front seat.
Although Jaclyn made a move to let Catherine have her seat, Catherine smiled and demurred. "I'll sit with Michael in the back." she said. "I'm getting out first, anyway."
"Actually," Robert turned to look at her, "We were all hoping you could come to our place for dinner."
Catherine sensed Jaclyn's tensing and faint withdrawal and refused Robert's invitation gently, asking instead to be taken home, as she hadn't had a good night and was too tired to be good company. Then she asked if he had found out anything about her vehicle.
"It seems that your hospital friend supplied the towing company with your address and met them there with the key." Robert reported. "It's in your own garage. They were surprised you hadn't seen it there, OR that your friend hadn't mentioned it. They're quite apologetic. I'd get on your supposed friend's case if I were you!"
"William just told me it had been towed ... he never said a word about where!" Catherine was furious. Why had he made her think it had been towed to a pound? Well, she was not going to think about him ... not tonight. She'd tackle him tomorrow on the issue.
Thanking Robert for the ride when he pulled up in her driveway, Catherine bid goodnight to Jaclyn and Michael, who asked her if she'd be coming in the morning with them again.
Smiling, Catherine said obliquely, "Well, I DO have my own vehicle There's no need to burn your grandfather's gas, is there? Good night, and thanks again for the lift, Robert."
That evening started out as a reproduction of the previous night. Catherine thought about Tom, about their life together, about all the things she missed about him. She finally remembered the cup of milk in the microwave, and opened the appliance with some trepidation only to find it empty. Carol, her cleaning lady, must have found the milk first. As she restlessly roamed around her neat, empty house, Catherine found herself missing the cabin ... and Robert.
Collapsing on a chair in the living room, Catherine allowed herself to remember their Christmas, reliving every small detail, beginning with the kiss at the doorway of the cabin that morning. He had taken all of her, had possessed her, had driven her beyond any point of return, and then had taken her even further.
When the phone rang, she shot out of her chair with a gasp. Trying to compose herself by breathing deeply, Catherine picked up the phone. It was Robert. Her heart rate shot up again.
"Hi," he said, softly. "Am I disturbing you?"
"No ... I'm just ... sitting here, thinking."
"May I ask what about?"
Catherine hesitated, then sank back in the chair with a smile. Suddenly she felt daring, desirable, like someone completely different than her practical, scientific person. Speaking in a low, husky voice, she said, "I'm thinking about you ... and me ... us ... re-living the fantastic day you treated me to as the best Christmas in my life."
"Mmm. And do you remember the first night? Thanksgiving?" he asked seductively.
"Every moment."
"When I carried you in the house after we fixed the window ... I wanted to kiss you then, Catherine. I so badly wanted to kiss you ..."
"I know," she said. "I wanted it, too. But I understood ..."
"It was just ... that was the first time I had ever wanted anyone other than Mary Beth. And I was still struggling with the fact that she was gone, even though her body was still here."
"I know," Catherine said again.
"I carried you in the house, you looked so bemused when you said you hadn't been picked up since you were a child, and I wanted to kiss those lips which trembled so delectably ..."
"When I told you I couldn't have children, your words about saving one special child were better than a kiss for me at that moment ... you kissed my soul, then. It was such a sweet, lovely thing to say ..."
"Maybe that child WILL be my grand-daughter, and maybe not, but in your work, you will always have that potential. Catherine, I love you ..."
"I remember you introducing yourself and saying we should know each other's names if we were going to sleep together. You shocked me so much, and that made me angry. I didn't want to feel ever again. I didn't want to experience love only to lose again ..."
"I remember you when you came out of the shower, dressed in the plaid robe ... with your damp hair. I was horrified, because I was still trying to believe that Mary Beth would be coming home and I'd have my wife again, and here I was, attracted to another woman."
"And then, when you threw away Tom's cigar because the smell made me cry, and told me about Mary Beth's shampoo, I wanted to kiss you ..."
"I wanted that, too, and almost murdered my own daughter and son-in-law when they came right then."
"Robert?" Catherine said, after a moment of silence. "I do love you, too. You know that, don't you?"
"Of course," he said arrogantly. "What's not to love?" Then he laughed, and his voice was seductive again. "Catherine, are you thinking about marriage? Are you thinking of what it will be like to be together for the rest of our lives?"
"Mmmhmmm," she sighed.
By the time Catherine got off the phone that night, she drifted off to bed and had an excellent sleep.
To Be Continued